Cong to stage dharna outside DC office on Sept 15
Bathinda: Local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi and general secretary of the PPCC, said on Saturday that the party would stage a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on September 15 against the rampant corruption in Punjab.

Rains damage houses in Mansa village
Mansa, September 10
Following heavy rains, many houses collapsed today in Autanwali village of Mansa. Most of the houses belonged to poor Dalit families.

Row over Gidderbaha thermal plant
Farmers ready to give land with a rider
Therri Bhai Ka (Gidderbaha), September 10
On the one hand, the villagers here have been staging a dharna everyday since January 3 outside the Gurdwara Sahib on the Gidderbaha-Malout road here against the proposed acquisition of the farmers' land in three villages, including Therri Bhai Ka, Ghagga and Bawania, for the proposed 2,640 MW Gidderbaha thermal power plant.

Govt gears up to prevent recurrence of breaches
Abohar, September 10
“The Punjab Government had apprehended that the drains originating from Lambi and Gidderbaha could damage crops by overflowing in the Abohar and Balluana segments. However, that it could wreak havoc in such a way was beyond our imagination,” confessed Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

9950 drug addicts use syringes in state: RTI info
Mansa, September 10
There are 9,950 drugs addicts in Punjab, who use syringes to inject drugs into their bodies to get a kick. This was revealed in the information procured under the Right to Information Act by a Mansa resident. The information reveals that there are 13,850 female sex workers in Punjab while 2,550 homosexuals. Replying to a query filed by Vinod Kumar, Punjab State AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh, also informed about the funds released to Punjab’s NGOs and schemes, under which the money is released.

Shops burgled in Abohar
Abohar, September 10
Miscreants burgled some shops in Sadar Bazaar and a clinic-cum-chemist shop in the Nai Abadi locality, last night.

IT raids politically motivated: Barnala
Barnala, September 10
Terming the recent income tax raids at his son Gaganjeet Singh’s residence as politically motivated, former Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala today accused CM Parkash Singh Badal of being behind the raids saying that the “raids at his son’s residence has been specially timed to stop him from canvassing for the Panthic Morcha candidates for the SGPC elections.” He went on to say that Badal is taking the services of a senior IT official, related to him to harass his family.

Two minor kids drowned
Fazilka, September 10
Two minor kids drowned in a pond at village Bodiwala Pitha of Fazilka district today in the evening. As per the details, Sunil Kumar (10), son of Surjit Kumar, a student of class V and Sandeep Kumar (9), son of Parkash, a student of class IV, were playing near the village pond.

Drainage official assures of action
Abohar, September 10
Vinod Chaudhary, Engineer (CE), Drainage Department assured people living in the areas affected by the drain water that the situation would ease in the next few days.

Bathinda, September 10
President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) Paramjit Singh Sarna today challenged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to hold a televised debate with him over the issue "Who is the Congress agent, he or they?"

On the Badals often terming him as a Congress agent, Sarna said that during the debate, he would prove as to who is the Congress agent.

Sarna, who was in the district today to campaign in favour of the candidates of the Panthic Morcha for the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, said the elections were being fought by the Badal government as two of its ministers, Sucha Singh Langah and Sewa Singh Sekhwan, were also contesting without resigning from their ministerial posts.

Interacting with the media persons here today, Sarna said that on the one hand, Badals opposed political interference in the SGPC elections while on the other, they were directly fielding candidates. He also asked the CM and the Deputy CM to explain why they were taking part in the SGPC polls.

Sarna claimed the Panthic Morcha would win 85 to 90 seats though the Badals were saying that they would win all 170 seats. He also alleged that 38 lakh bogus voters had been enrolled by the ruling SAD for the SGPC elections.

Sarna also levelled corruption charges against SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. He said the Panthic Morcha was contesting the elections to save Sikhism, as the Badals had failed on all Sikh related issues like the Anand Marriage Act, blacklisting of Sikhs and death sentence to Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

He alleged that the Jathedars of three Takhts in Punjab were under the influence of the Badals. He said if his party wins, they would make only such persons Jathedars who would give a right direction to the Sikhs.

Earlier, Sarna campaigned in favour of the candidate of the Panthic Morcha from Bathinda seat, Harpal Singh Mithu, at Kotshameer where he addressed a gathering.

Bathinda, September 10
Visitors to the Mini-secretariat here were amused to find two cops in an ‘inebriated’ condition, dancing and singing outside the Bathinda SSP office today in the afternoon.

The tipsy cops sang Punjabi songs, cracked jokes and gave vent to their pent-up feelings. Onlookers said the cops seemed to have consumed some synthetic or medicinal drugs to get a kick. Wearing uniforms, these cops had a narrow escape on the road outside the SSP office as they almost collided with vehicles.

After walking a few meters, they fell down and had to be helped to get on their feet.

Cops sang, danced and abused as people laughed at them. One of them even told the lensmen that they were clicking more pictures than was done during his marriage. Some passerbys informed the PCR and policemen were sent to take them away. The policemen hardly handled their inebriated colleagues as they got infuriated and resisted arrest.

After much persuasion and threats from their colleagues, they sat in the police vehicle. When enquired about the action taken, officials at the police control room said these cops would be taken to the Civil Lines police station and a case could be filed against them.

In-charge of the police station, Jaspal Singh, however, feigned ignorance over any inebriated policemen being brought to the police station.

When enquiries were made from the policemen who had taken away the tipsy cops in vehicles, it was learnt that the two, including a home guard jawan, had been dropped at the Police Lines as they were deployed there. They added that no action has been initiated against them due to lack of a formal complaint.

SSP SS Gill said he had marked an inquiry and suitable action would be initiated after identifying the cops concerned.

Bathinda: Local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi and general secretary of the PPCC, said on Saturday that the party would stage a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on September 15 against the rampant corruption in Punjab.

Jassi lashed out at the SAD-led coalition government in Punjab and accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of providing "step-motherly" treatment to the Bathinda town and its neighbouring areas. Addressing party activists here, Jassi said the SAD-BJP government has miserably failed to check corruption. Poor people were victim of the government's apathy. The BPL families were being denied the grants received under various schemes from the Centre, he alleged. Jassi alleged that the local MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was not providing sufficient funds to Bathinda out of the funds at her disposal as a member of Parliament. Prime government lands have been sold at throwaway prices to the influential business lobby and the money realized through these deals was diverted to other places, he alleged. Jassi urged the government to immediately construct a flyover over the Paras Ram locality. — TNS

The affected families have kept their belongings in a school building or have shifted to the houses of relatives in the nearby villages.

The inundated houses are situated in a low-lying area. The residents of the village said their cattle too had been without fodder due to continuous rains. The flow of water turned towards the residential areas from the agricultural fields, the villagers added.

Area residents expressed their anguish against the Punjab Government for not taking any measure to drain out the polluted water from the affected houses.

Therri Bhai Ka (Gidderbaha), September 10
On the one hand, the villagers here have been staging a dharna everyday since January 3 outside the Gurdwara Sahib on the Gidderbaha-Malout road here against the proposed acquisition of the farmers' land in three villages, including Therri Bhai Ka, Ghagga and Bawania, for the proposed 2,640 MW Gidderbaha thermal power plant.

The protesters pleaded that they would not give their land at any cost. On the other, after the introduction of the Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament, the farmers have relented and shown readiness to give their land with certain conditions.

Opposing the acquisition of the land for the thermal plant, convener of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Paramjit Singh Therri along with Devinder Singh, Harinder Pal Singh (Therri), Puran Singh Torewala (Therri) and Kanwaljit Singh, said they could give their land to the government provided the government waits by the time the Central Act regarding land acquisition is not passed. He said they wanted compensation as per the new Central Act. Besides, they also wanted that their fertile land should not be acquired. He said the government should acquire their waterlogged land in lieu of the fertile one.

The protesters also demanded that 100 poor Dalit labourers, whose houses would also be acquired, should be given compensation as per the proposed law besides rehabilitation. Paramjit Singh also said the government would acquire over 2,000 acres for the plant. He further said the government had already issued a notice under Section 6 for the acquisition of the land. However, it had not proceeded further as they were opposing it in a big way. He said they had also burnt the effigies of the government and blocked road in the past. He said their dharna would continue until their demands are accepted.

Abohar, September 10
“The Punjab Government had apprehended that the drains originating from Lambi and Gidderbaha could damage crops by overflowing in the Abohar and Balluana segments. However, that it could wreak havoc in such a way was beyond our imagination,” confessed Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

The Fazilka DC has been asked to get a special girdawari conducted. A compensation of Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000 would be given to the owners of pucca and kutcha houses, respectively, for the damages. “The Disaster Management Fund can also be used to compensate the farmers whose cotton and other crops were damaged,” he added. Speaking to the media after visiting the affected villages, he said the state government would bear all the expenses pertaining to relief and rescue operations. Sekhon said, “Tenders had already been floated to widen the Abulkhurana drain that passes through the wildlife sanctuary area in Abohar. The estimated cost would be Rs 14 crore. The work to prevent recurrence of breaches is to be completed within three months.” He assured that the renovation of Buddha Gujjar drain near Sabuana would also be taken up.

Lok Sabha member Sher Singh Ghubaya also accompanied the minister. They addressed the rallies that were organised by the SAD to mobilise voters at Khuyiansarwar and Wahabwala villages for the SGPC polls.

Mansa, September 10
There are 9,950 drugs addicts in Punjab, who use syringes to inject drugs into their bodies to get a kick. This was revealed in the information procured under the Right to Information Act by a Mansa resident. The information reveals that there are 13,850 female sex workers in Punjab while 2,550 homosexuals. Replying to a query filed by Vinod Kumar, Punjab State AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh, also informed about the funds released to Punjab’s NGOs and schemes, under which the money is released.

While funds to the tune of a few thousands had been released every year to 53 NGOs in Punjab since 2006, 50 of them were given Rs 6.56 crores in year 2010-11.

Volunteers of these NGOs provide syringes, condoms and literature to drug addicts and sex workers to reduce spread of communicable diseases.

Two schemes have also been rolled out for 40 NGOs under the Needle Syringe Exchange Programme and Distribution of Condom for the financial year 2011-12.

Some volunteers of these NGOs, while talking to the TNS, said the number of people involved in the illegal trade is on the rise despite the awareness drives by the government.

Despite death of some drug addicts in the villages of Mansa during the last few years, there is no let up in the number of addicts turning towards drugs, the volunteers added. Mansa, one of the smaller districts of Punjab, has 700 female sex workers and there are 100 homosexual while 250 people use injections to consume drugs in the city.

Area residents including Vinod Kumar, Navdeep, Sandeep, Suresh and others demanding inquiry into the judicious use of funds released to these NGOs, said the number of drug addicts in Malwa is alarming. “Since no one in our society would come forward and confirm accepting condoms or syringes, the money might be misused by some of the NGOs,” Vinod said. He added that a formal complaint was also lodged in this regard at the Mansa police station.

Barnala, September 10
Terming the recent income tax raids at his son Gaganjeet Singh’s residence as politically motivated, former Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala today accused CM Parkash Singh Badal of being behind the raids saying that the “raids at his son’s residence has been specially timed to stop him from canvassing for the Panthic Morcha candidates for the SGPC elections.” He went on to say that Badal is taking the services of a senior IT official, related to him to harass his family.

“The timing, when the elections are round the corner, clearly points towards politics involved in the raids,” said the octogenarian while speaking to the media at his residence in Barnala. He added that he would continue to campaign for the Panthic Morcha candidates and would not stop because of IT raid. Barnala's wife and SAD (Longowal) President Surjit Kaur Barnala too accused Badal of masterminding the raids.
— TNS

Fazilka, September 10
Two minor kids drowned in a pond at village Bodiwala Pitha of Fazilka district today in the evening. As per the details, Sunil Kumar (10), son of Surjit Kumar, a student of class V and Sandeep Kumar (9), son of Parkash, a student of class IV, were playing near the village pond.

They reportedly entered the pool, situated near the village boundary, to take a dip into the pond. Both Surjit Kumar and Parkash are labourers.

“The exact cause of the tragedy in the isolated area could not be ascertained in the absence of any eye witness,” said Beant Singh, in-charge, Khui Khera police post. A case under Section 174 of the CrPC has been registered on the statement of deceased kids’ parents.

Faridkot, September 10
Four months after a man stabbed his paramour to death, the jilted lover killed himself in the Una jail in Himachal Pradesh today.

As per the details, Pardeep Kumar, a resident of Muktsar, had killed his paramour Divya on April 28 at Chintpurni in Una district of Himachal Pradesh.

A week after the murder, Pardeep was arrested by the HP police at Haridwar in Uttarakhand. For the last four months, Pardeep was in judicial custody in the jail. On Saturday, he ended his life by hanging himself to death in the jail.

Under a well-hatched conspiracy, Pardeep had allegedly killed Divya at a hotel in Chintpurni. According to Muktsar police, after a dispute with his first wife, Pardeep was living with Divya in Muktsar and on April 26, they had left for Chintpurni. Pardeep had hired a room there by introducing himself as Deepak Kumar of Sriganganagar (Rajasthan).

On April 29, the hotel staff found the half-naked, brutally stabbed body of Divya while Pardeep was missing. The police also found some half-burnt clothes and papers in their hotel room. “On May 3, he was arrested from Haridwar,” said HP police team.

Diwan Chand, Pardeep’s father said he was annoyed with his son’s behaviour. Pardeep's wife is living with her in-laws while he was denied inheritance to all his properties, said the father.

Abohar, September 10
Vinod Chaudhary, Engineer (CE), Drainage Department assured people living in the areas affected by the drain water that the situation would ease in the next few days.

While accompanying Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, who holds the charge of the Irrigation Department, the CE conceded that water had wreaked havoc in the wildlife sanctuary areas since excess water from three drains, Sarawan Bodla, Wahabwala and Abulkhurana, had overflowed and caused a breach here.

He also assured that arrangements to dispose of water will be made to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents. — OC